And silas witherell



(No Model.)

A. D. LEWIS & S. WITHERELL. ELECTRIC PERFORATING PEN.

No. 498,519. Patented May 30, 1893.

THE cams PETERS (20., Puoro-uwo WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricat AARON D. LEWIS, OF CANTON, MISSOURI, AND SILAS VVITHERELL, OF FORT MADISON, IOWA; SAID VVITHERELL ASSIGNOR TO SAID LEXVIS.

ELECTRIC PERFORATI NG-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,519, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed April 23, 1892. Serial No. 430,384. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, AARON D. LEWIS, residing at Canton, in the county of Lewis and State of Missouri, and SILAs VVITHERELL, re-

siding at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, citizens of the United States, have invented anew and useful Electric Perforating-Pen, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric perforating pens; and it has for its object to provide a device adapted to be used in connection with an ordinary pen, which being electrically controlled, provides means for perforating and indenting the writing material which is being written upon, and to this end is designed to make such perforations or indentations regularly upon the writing itself or adjacent to the lines thereof, so that no alterations, erasures or changes whatever made in the writing can be successfully made without detection. This use particularly adapts the device for writing checks, drafts, and all commercial paper and legal instruments in which it is essential that such alterations, erasures and changes be not made.

With these and many other objects in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will hereinafter more fully be described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric perforating pen constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: A represents a metallic or other suitable pen handle constructed in a shape so as to be readily grasped between the thumb and forefinger of a person, to write in the ordinary manner. The said pen handle is connected or provided at one end with the pen holder B, carrying the ordinary writing pen O, which is written with in the ordinary manner. Directly back of the pen holder B the handle A is further provided with the de- 50 pending pocket portion D, which receives the electro magnet E, scoured at its lower end to the base of said pocket and the handle, while the core F of the magnet projects slightly above the top plane of the handle,which may be further provided with the inclined rest portion G extending from the rear side of said pocket to a point near one end of the handle. Secured to the depressed portion of the handle A and embracing one side of the magnet is the bracket II, provided at its updo per end with a bracket arm h, projecting over the top of the magnet and provided with the threaded perforation h. The said threaded perforation it, receives the adjustable contact screw I working therethrough and lying directly over the core of the magnet, and also receives the binding nut J clamping between the same and the insulation washer j, one end of one of the conducting wires K which is connected with one end of said contact screw,while 7c the other wire K is connected with the helix of the magnet, so that when the said wires are connectedwith an ordinary battery the core of the magnet is magnetized and causes the armature reed L to laterally vibrate between the core of the magnet and said contact screw, said lateral vibration being to and away from the pen as distinguished from alongitudinal movement or reciprocation in a line with the pen. The said spring armature reed L is connected at one end to the handle of the pen and is normally out of contact with the magnet core and said magnet, and is assisted in its vibrations by the auxiliary leaf contact spring M secured to the top thereof and contacting with the contact screw so that when the current is passed through the wires, the armature reed is rapidly vibrated and the vibrations regulated, as can be readily seen by adjusting the contact screw. The extreme 9o outer end of the armature reed is provided with a threaded perforation Z which adjustably receives the perforating or indenting screw N, working therethrough and provided with a perforating point or points n which 5 are designed to perforate orindent the paper in the lines forming the writing or alongside of the lines according to the position of the outer end of the reed. As illustrated the perforating point strikes directly in front of the point of the pen so that the perforations or indentations are in the writing itself, and

thus renders erasure or alteration impossible. But it will be readily seen that the outer end of the reed can be bent or so shaped as to indent or perforate parallel with the writing, at an angle, or at one side, and by employing a set of perforating points in the screw N, the paper may be perforated on each side of the writing.

Various changes similar to those noted will readily suggest themselves to the manufacturer without in any way departing from the spirit of this invention.

It may be further observed that the perforator herein described may be advantageously used in connection with any writing instrument using a fluid or in connection with a pencil for writing purposes generally.

It Will be readily seen that the perforator used in connection with such writing instrument may be adapted to strikein various positions, so that the same will puncture or perforate in front of the pen or pencil point, at the side or sides, behind and parallel therewith, the perforator being adapted to strike vertically and also directly in rear of the instrument point if found desirable. The perforator being thus arranged makes the perforations in or through the paper directly be hind an upstroke of the pen or pencil and immediately in front of the downward stroke thereof, and in all of which positions before noted, the electrically controlled perforator being mounted in any suitable manner upon the instrument, and carrying the perforating point at any suitable point according to the location with respect to the instrument point where it is desired to strike.

The perforator following and leading the pen, so cuts, pierces or punctures the paper with small holes, that the ink where a pen is employed, runs through the paper along the line of writing so that no alterations whatever can be made without leaving a prominent indication or trace thereof.

It is thought that the many adaptations of the herein described electrically controlled perforator will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a perforating pen, the combination of an ordinary pen handle, an electro magnet mounted upon said handle, and a laterally Vibrating perforating armature reed mounted exteriorly of and longitudinally on said handle and controlled by said magnet, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric perforating ordinary pen, the pen handle carrying the holder and pen at one end, an electric magnet mounted upon said handle, and a laterally vibrating perforating armature reed mounted exteriorly of and longitudinally on said handle and controlled by said magnet, said reed having a perforating or indenting point or points adjacent to the point of the pen, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric perforating ordinary pen, the pen handle carrying the holder and pen at one end, an electro magnet mounted upon said handle, a laterally vibrating armature reed mounted exteriorly of and longitudinally on said handle and provided with thethreaded perforation at the other end, and an adj ustable screw working in said perforated end and provided with a projecting perforating or indenting point adjacent to the point of the pen, substantially as set forth.

4;. In an electric perforating pen, the com bination with an ordinary pen handle and the pen at one end thereof, of an electrically controlled laterally vibrating perforating reed, mounted exteriorly of and longitudinally on the pen handle and provided with a point at one end striking adjacent to the point of the pen, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric perforating pen, the pen handle provided with a depending pocket portion, an electro magnet mounted within said pocket portion, a vibrating perforating armature reed secured at one end to said handle and playing over the magnet, a bracket secured to said handle and extending over the top of the magnet, and an adjustable contact screw working through said bracket above the magnet and said armature reed, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric perforating pen, the pen handle carrying the holder and pen at one end and provided with a depending pocket, an electro magnet mounted within said pocket, the vibrating perforating reed connected with said handle and provided with a perforating point or points striking adjacent to the point of the pen, an auxiliary leaf contact spring secured to the top of the reed above the magnet, a bracket secured to the handle and projecting over the top of the magnet, and a contact screw adj ustably mounted in said bracket and contacting with said auxiliary spring, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto aliixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

AARON D. LEWIS. SILAS \VITIIERELL. Witnesses:

B. H. SMITH, JAs. E. OLDHAM. 

